Spring Arbor came back with a vengeance after losing their first conference game on Thursday. They defeated the Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) Wildcats 17-3 and 9-1 on Saturday.
The Cougar offense continues to dominate the Crossroads League. In their conference matches they have scored 68 runs and given up 17 runs.
In game one, the Cougars came out swinging, scoring eight runs in the first. They combined to score nine more runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.
In the bottom of the first, JP Maracani hit a base clearing double scoring Brian Doll, Steven Kolb and Mark Weist. The Cougars were up 3-0 with no outs. Jonathan Newman singled in two more runs when Maracani and Maverick Nichols came home. Billy Hochradel, who went 2 for 3, earned two of his five RBIs on a single to shallow right field, putting the Cougars up 7-0. After Hochradel stole second base, Doll singled him home. Doll stole second and third bases before the inning ended.
In the second inning, Tyler Baker scored on a Nichols single. Newman hit a sacrifice fly to bring Nichols home. Maracani singled in Doll in the bottom of the third. The three runs put the Cougars ahead 11-0.
Doll earned another RBI in the bottom of the fourth on a single to left field. Doll then scored on a single by Weist increasing the Cougars’ lead to 13.
Pitcher Jerry Ferris gave up eight hits in his complete game victory. He also gave up three runs, which were scored in the top of the fifth. IWU’s runs came off a two-run homerun by Quinn Nofziger and a passed ball by SAU’s Newman.
Nichols started the bottom of the fifth with a single. He stole second and was batted in by Jacob Walker. The Cougars were up 14-3. The last three runs came courtesy of Hochradel’s first home run in a Spring Arbor uniform.
Ferris would end the game with two strikeouts and a ground out. The final score of the first game was 17-3.
Game two started similarly to game one. The Cougars were on the attack, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first. Baker emptied the bases, occupied by Doll, Kolb and Maracani, with a double down the right field line. Nichols followed that double with a two-run homerun.
The Cougars added another run, to put them up 6-0, in the bottom of the second. Doll scored on a single by Maracani.
Greg Blanco, who took the mound for the Cougars in game two, gave up one run to IWU in the top of the third. It was courtesy of a Craig Dollens double. It was the only run scored on Blanco. He gave up eight hits and pitched all seven innings.
In the fourth inning, Doll came around to score on a double by Weist. Weist then scored on a triple by Maracani. Baker hit into an RBI groundout, scoring Maracani. These three runs put the Cougars up 9-1.
The second half of the Cougars series against IWU begins on Tuesday, April 9 when the Cougars travel to Marion, Indiana. They will also travel to Albion College for a nonconference game on Wednesday April 10.
They will be returning home on Thursday April 11 to begin a four game series, two home and two away, against Taylor University. Taylor is currently second in the Crossroads League standings behind Spring Arbor. Game one begins at 2 p.m. at Burbridge Field.
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